Supreme Court Orders Removal of Stray Dogs from Near Schools, Hospitals

Nov 7, 2025 – The Supreme Court on Friday, November 7, has issued an order to all Sates and Union Territories to remove stray dogs from around educational institutions, hospitals, bus stands, railways stations, sports complexes and send them to designated canine shelters.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria also directed the States, Union Territories and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to remove stray animals, including cattle, from national and State highways as well as other roads. The Court also instructed setting up of a dedicated highway patrol team to oversee the removal of the stray animals and their relocation to shelter homes.

A timeline of eight weeks has been set by the country’s apex Court for the above tasks. The next hearing on this matter has been scheduled for January 13, 2026.

The authorities have also been instructed not to release the dogs in the same localities after sterilisation. “Permitting the same would frustrate the very purpose of liberating such institutions from the presence of stray dogs,” the Court observed.

The Bench was hearing a suo moto case that began on July 28 over media reports highlighting the alarming rise of stray dog bites leading to rabies, especially among children, in Delhi and NCR region. The Court later widened its scope to include all States and Union Territories.